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SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 27 May 2015, 23:59 UTC/GMT

“LIFE ON EARTH?”

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. (...) There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.” ― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

The SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 Art Gallery proposes the concept of “Life on Earth?” to explore the intersections of art and life, as well as the cosmos between. “Life on Earth?” experiments with and reimagines the concept of life on Earth. There is no doubt that life exists on Earth. But what kind of life will it be, and which of those lives will art can impact? The exhibition questions how art can constitute a daily condition of life. Can art improve current conditions on Earth, and if so, extend human experience beyond the horizon?

The Art Gallery will present artworks that reflect the current transformations and shifting paradigms throughout Asia. We welcome proposals of creative works that not only empower or critique digital technologies, but also those that utilize technology and digital media to augment the human experience. The exhibition, associated talks and discussions will engage with contemporary societal issues to stimulate broader conversation in the public sphere.

Art Works

The SIGGRAPH Asia Art Gallery 2015 will be presented at the exhibition space of the conference venue during the SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 Conference and Exhibition in Kobe, Japan. Submissions are open to all works that use new and emerging technologies or are digitally-mediated. Works that emerge as a result of collaboration across multiple fields are also encouraged. The gallery will mainly consider, but not limit submissions to the following types of art work:

Collaborative projects between different fields of art, science and technology

Art Papers

SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 will also organize a session of Art Papers to extend critical dialogue across fields of art and technology by exposing research into theoretical approaches to art, expositions of the art making process, and curatorial adversaries of art.

Art Papers may explore topics related to the theme of the SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 Art Gallery, or any topic of relevance to the SIGGRAPH community, such as the technical and historical implications of digital art on society, or how art can contribute to contemporary culture. Authors present Art Papers in 20-minute sessions with five minutes of Q&A.

Submitted works for both the categories of Art Works and Art Papers will be reviewed by an international board of juries. The jury's decisions will be announced in August.

Reference

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.

Our posturing’s, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”

― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

How To Submit

Please review and carefully follow the submission requirements below. Incomplete or wrongly completed submissions will not be considered. For each submission, please complete the following requirements:

Main image: One representative image in JPG format suitable for use in print and promotional materials (see image format requirements below).

Additional Detail Image: In JPG

Web image: In JPG or PNG format, max. 200 KB for website publication.

Floor plan: Submit detailed layout of space needed for installation, including power requirements, exact dimensions of floor space and height, lighting, audio, power sources, furniture such as tables, etc. See Sample Floor Plan.

Visual documentation: In addition to the images above, include up to three visual files for each submission (three images and one video). At a minimum, include one image. Video documentation is expected for installation, kinetic, or interactive works. Videos need to be formatted as QuickTime (.mov) files of up to three minutes in length and maximum 200 MB.

Manage Contributors

List of project collaborators (if any).

Please note: All entries must be uploaded to the online submission system. No discs or drives will be accepted.

English Review Service

If English is not your first language; you may use the English Review Service to help with the text of submissions. Please note that this takes time, so your submission should be sent to the English Review Service well before the final deadline. Applicable to Art Papers only.

Educator's Resources Submission Option

Those submitting content to a SIGGRAPH conference have the option of donating materials of educational value to ACM SIGGRAPH online resources for the benefit of the education community. Learn more.

For more information about uploading files for your submission, please see Uploading Files.

Evaluation

Selections will be made by a panel of digital art experts according to the following criteria:

Overall impact of the work

Relevance to the Call for Submissions

Quality of accompanying artist statement

Creative use of media

Depth of critical exploration

Notice To Contributors

All contributors to SIGGRAPH Asia Annual Conferences are now required to use ACM's rights management system to grant rights to publish accepted content rather than through the online submission system. Essentially, submission tracking, jury review, and acceptance remain the same, but now the rights management is through ACM, the parent organization of SIGGRAPH Asia.

You will be asked to complete an ACM rights management form, which includes permission to record and distribute the audio and video of your recorded presentation through official channels of ACM/SIGGRAPH Asia. For most content types, this will be a Permission and Release form, which allows authors to retain copyright.

If you are using copyrighted musical compositions in your presentation, you must secure performing rights licenses.

You must have the authority to grant ACM the right to distribute your presentation.

Once your contribution is accepted, you will receive a link via email to the appropriate form for your contribution.

Upon Acceptance

Artists will receive acceptance and rejection notices via email. Detailed information and instructions will then be sent to artists along with the acceptance letter. You must promptly complete and return the following:

Shipping Information Form

Equipment Rental Form

Presenter and Contributor Recognition

Please see the Recognition Policy for a summary of what you will receive if your work and/or proposal are accepted by SIGGRAPH Asia 2015.

Presenters are expected to cover their own travel costs, which are not covered by SIGGRAPH Asia 2015. You can apply for a 100% discount per accepted submission via the submission system. If additional contributors need to access the Art Gallery for presentation purposes, they can request for Session only passes to the Art Gallery Only.

Publication

All work selected for the SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 Art Gallery will also be documented in the SIGGRAPH 2015 website and ACM Digital Library.

Shipping

In general, accepted artists are responsible for bringing or shipping their work to SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 in Kobe, Japan. Artists are also responsible for return shipping after the conference.

Installation

We will work closely with you to ensure proper and effective installation of your work. You must send exhibition-ready work. Prints must be framed and ready to hang, three-dimensional works must be assembled and ready for display, installation works must be complete with detailed set-up instructions and diagrams, etc. Exhibition installation will be accomplished by professionals, although complex works will need your individual participation, so you should plan to arrive early to assist with installation.

Note: If your work arrives at the convention center, and it is not as depicted in your submission or is not ready for installation, we reserve the right to exclude it from the exhibition.

Other Details

You will be able to update your basic submission information so that it can be included in the conference program and website. This information needs to be finalized two weeks after acceptance. If you wish to attend SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 in Kobe, Japan, registration and travel costs are at your own expense.

Collaborative projects between different fields of art, science and technology

If your work does not obviously fit into one of these categories, please choose the one that seems most appropriate. Your work will not be rejected because it does not conform to one of these categories.

My work has an aesthetic component, but it is mainly a demonstration of a technology I developed. Where should I submit it?

If I am interested in submitting an electronically mediated performance, what sort of limitations should I be aware of?

The SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 Art Gallery welcomes proposals for all kinds of electronically mediated performances. However, we will not be able to present all deserving projects due to limitations in availability of suitable venues.

Your performance should be no longer than one hour in length, and you should be able to repeat the performance at least twice during the conference.

You will be responsible for all set-up and tear-down (we will provide volunteers to help). You are also responsible for supplying your own equipment. If you have a performance that does not fit well into these parameters, please contact the Art Gallery Chair and Co-Chair to discuss possible solutions. There may be other opportunities for you at SIGGRAPH Asia 2015.

Can I submit a video documenting my work?

For performances, installations, and any interactive art that changes over time, you should submit a digital video that shows the evolution of the work, in addition to still images for documentation.

Is digital video art accepted?

Yes, if there is a significant use of creative digital techniques to alter the video, if the piece incorporates computer animation, or if it expands on aesthetic issues described in the Art Gallery Call for Participation.

Is SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 accepting sculptures?

Yes, sculptures that are interactive, robotic, electronic, or part of an installation are encouraged. Works that utilize rapid prototyping, that make use of embedded systems, or combine traditional media with digital systems are also welcome.

There is no limit. Submit as many as you like. But you must complete and submit a separate submission form for each work, unless your work is a series (see below).

If my work is a series, how should I submit it?

You should submit all pieces of the series under the same submission form. Be aware that if you specify that the pieces can NOT be split up, the jury will have to agree on all of the works in the series, so the work may be harder to accept. If your series does not hold together without each of the component parts, make sure you check "Please do not split up." Do not use this category to submit multiple artworks unless they are a series.

Can I submit a detail of my art work along with the image?

Yes.

Will you accept my work without an artist's statement?

No. All submissions must include a 200-300 word publishable (with proofread edited English) artist's statement. Your statement must address the conceptual aspects of the work. You must also include a 100-200 word publishable technical statement.

Can I submit a URL rather than images of my work?

No. You must submit images of your work so that we can publish an image of your work. You may submit a URL so that we can get additional information about your work if needed.

Upon Acceptance

Will SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 pay for shipping and framing?

No, you are responsible for framing (NO glass, please), crating, shipping, and in-transit insurance. You must pack and ship your artwork professionally and safely. Packing peanuts are NOT acceptable. Work that arrives at SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 in substandard condition may be pulled from the show.

I have an over-sized work that I just want push-pinned to the wall. Is this acceptable?

No. Your work must be professionally framed. We reserve the right to pull works that are not framed to our specifications.

Can I display a visual postcard with my work on it in the art gallery?

Yes. Each artist will be encouraged to send or bring 4.25-cm x 6-cm color postcards with an image of the work on the front and information about the piece on the back. These will be displayed and available for attendees (so bring plenty). No commercial promotional materials will be allowed.

Will SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 pay for any duty or taxes on international shipments?

No. You are responsible for all import and export expenses.

Does SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 have funding to ship my equipment to the conference?

No. Many artists who have participated in previous SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH Asia Art Galleries have received funding from local arts organizations or national councils. We will be happy to provide a letter of reference should you require it.

At The Conference

If I show my work at SIGGRAPH Asia 2015, will I have to watch my equipment?

Yes. You will need to have enough people to watch your installation or art piece if it requires monitoring.

Do I need to install my own work?

We will work closely with you to ensure proper and effective installation of your work. Exhibition installation will be accomplished by professionals, although complex works will need your individual participation, so you should plan to arrive early to assist with the installation.